Switched reluctance motors (SRM) provide a low-cost, reliable, high-torque alternative to rare earth-based permanent magnet motors. These qualities of SRMs make them desirable for many industrial, traction and household applications. However, many factors limit the use of SRMs, including their control complexity, torque ripple, acoustic noise, and the need for the SRM to adapt to operating parameter variations.
D-Q or rotating reference frame control systems have been used for controlling the operation of synchronous motors (SM), but have not been used to control switched reluctance motors (SRM). This is because the phases of the SRM are uncoupled, and the electrical currents used by the SRM are unidirectional. However, it would be desirable to utilize a D-Q control system with a switched reluctance motor (SRM) to provide a low-cost motor that has a wide torque range, and that has reduced torque ripple.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for controlling a switched reluctance motor (SRM) using a D-Q rotating reference frame control system by representing the electromagnetic torque as the product of sinusoidal inductance (related term) and sinusoidal current (dependent term). In addition, there is a need for a system and method for controlling an SRM using a D-Q rotating reference frame control system that is configured to readily be retrofit with an existing control system that is used to control rare-earth permanent magnet synchronous motors (SM), so as to facilitate the efforts of control engineers to easily adapt their existing SM control systems for use with switch reluctance motors (SRM).